Swimming pool assembly including rigid liner for sidewalls of pool with interlocking sections



March 24, 1970 .1. D. SCHWARZ ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS 0F POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed Oct. 5, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 6 EV INVENTORS g u/fus Dona/d Sabwarz George E. DOA e5 N Otokar ranBraasKy N 5-5/ nay Go dman FYTTO Y March 24, 1970 J. D. SCHWARZ ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed Oct. 5, 196'? 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS JZl/mSDona/d 5600 F a {q} M George E. DOA e5 OijoKar van Brads/(y S/c/neyJ' 6000/0700 .LE 4. BY

March 24, 1970 .1. D. SCHWARZ ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed Oct. :5, 1967 a Sheets-Sheet 3 SHEET flLUM/A/UM TYPf EXCEPT H5 NOTED GHSKET/NG 0/? CHULK/NG JOINT CLOSED w/TH MQLLET fieorye E. DOA es Ozokar vmBmdsA y 5/0 06 (1' Goad man March 24, 1970 J. D. SCHWARZ ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed 001;. 5, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 .Z'NVEN7Z9R5 J'u/ius Dona/d5c/2War2 George E. DOKGS Ofokar van Brads/{q Sid/7 ey J Good/7Z0 March 24, 1970 J sc w ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR vSIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed 001:. 5, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 7\ [:E: 864T n WATER LE L M o I 60 o o 5e 67 INVENTORS JZl/IUS Dona/d Scficuara George E. Bakes Ora/(0r vonBrac/sk March 24, 1970 J.'D. SCHWARZ HAL 5 1 82 SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR {SIDEWALLS 0F POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed 001:. 5, 1967 Gm U WN\ r\ iinvilnulhil 1} W "llllllln'lllllllullli Z R fl w (@470 e M 3 m M356 Q a .n. mfw D 6 OJ 5 m m moo w fi J March 24, 1970 sc w z ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed 001:. 5, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTORS G rge 5. Dukes Ot kar var) Braoky Zl/fus Dona/dSzbwarz March 24, 1970 J sc w Rz ETAL 3,501,782

SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITH INTERLOCKING SECTIONS Filed Oct, 5, 1967 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 IN VENTORS BY Q/ I flTT United States Patent SWIMMING POOL ASSEMBLY INCLUDING RIGID LINER FOR SIDEWALLS OF POOL WITI-I INTER- LOCKHNG SECTIONS Julius Donald Schwarz, Teaneck, and George E. Dokes, Hillsdale, N..l., Otokar von Bradsky, Westwood, N.Y., and Sidney J. Goodman, Paramus, N.J., assignors to Heudon Construction Company, Little Ferry, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 3, 1967, Ser. No. 672,604 Int. Cl. E04h 3/18 US. Cl. 4172 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rigid liner for sidewalls of a swimming pool with interlocking sections for carrying the water of the swimming pool and to replace the flexible sheet of a somewhat stretchable plastic material such as polyvinylchloride heretofore utilized as a liner in swimming pools, together with an improved swimming pool assembly including corrugated metal reinforcements for supporting the rigid liner so as to provide sidewalls for the liner, and other improved pool assembly means for securing the rigid liner along an upper edge of the pool and adjacent a sidewall panel of a prior type pool assembly so that the rigid liner with interlocking sections may be readily substituted for a flexible plastic liner in a prior type pool assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present invention relates to improvements in a swimming pool assembly and liner for carrying the water of the swimming pool above a ground level; improvements in a means for attaching the liner to the sidewalls of a swimming pool, which attachment means may be a type described and claimed in copending US. application Ser. No. 615,750, filed Feb. 13, 1967, now U.S. Patent No. 3,354,473, jointly by Julius Donald Schwarz and George E. Dokes, while the above ground swimming pool assembly may be of a type described and claimed in US. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430, issued Aug. 15, 1967, jointly by Julius Donald Schwarz and George E. Dokes. 1

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention A swimming pool assembly including a rigid liner of interlocking sections of a sheet material, together with an improved pool assembly for supporting the rigid liner so as to provide rigid sidewalls and a rigid bottom for carrying the water of the swimming pool, and other improved pool assembly means for securing rigid interlocking sections of the liner along an upper edge of the sidewalls of the swimming pool.

Description of the prior art Heretofore, as described in the aforenoted U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430, the prior art relating to such above ground type swimming pools have utilized elastic liners of a flexible vinyl plastic material for carrying the water of the swimming pool above the ground level. While these prior art type flexible vinyl liners may serve normally to provide a water tight seal for the water which it contains, such prior art flexible vinyl liners must of necessity be supported by a structural frame including rigid sidewall panels having flat surfaces which serve to support the flexible liner under the hydrostatic force of the water which is efiectively sealed and contained within the liner. Thus, such prior art type flexible vinyl liners require the additional structure of flat rigid sidewall panels to support such liners in actual use.

Furthermore, there are many problems associated with the use of such prior art vinyl liners in a swimming pool in that such vinyl liners may tear or be cut accidentally during use. Such vinyl liner material is rubber-like and is typically very thin (in the order of from .015 to .030 of an inch thick) and susceptible to wear, tears, cuts, punctures, and wrinkles.

Moreover, the prior art type vinyl flexible liners must be retained by a retention bead which is manually slipped into a liner lock strip mounted at the upper edge of the pool assembly so as to facilitate easy assembly during erection of the pool as explained in the aforenoted U.S. Letters Patent. Since a slip fit insertion of the bead is usually applied, the bead may slip out of the lock strip when the swimming pool assembly is not filled with water and a strong wind blows against the liner. The weight of the water within the liner is usually required to hold the liner in place in its lock strip. Such displacements of the bead from the lock strip causes frequent service complaints.

Further, such prior art type vinyl liners characteristically deteriorate due to exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun, and over a period of time it has been found that the strength of the vinyl liner decreases. It is the general impression of a prospective customer that the vinyl liner is not a permanent item that may be subjected to abusive use, but rather is an item which needs to be periodically replaced due to damage through normal use and wear.

Furthermore, it has been found that acid conditions of the soil will accelerate deterioration of the vinyl type liner in that subterranean waters which may subject the liner to the soil acidity have a tendency at times of rendering the liner adjacent the soil porous. Also certain type algae, particularly black algae, will cause discoloration and stains on the vinyl liner which cannot be removed without damage to the liner.

In an effort to avoid these undesirable characteristics of such vinyl rubber-like pool liners, there have been prefabricated one piece rigid metal or fiberglass liners for swimming pool assemblies. These rigid prefabricated one piece liners have been found, however, to be bulky and unwieldly and so difficult and expensive to install in a swimming pool assembly as not to provide a practical solution of the problem presented.

In an eifort to avoid the difliculties of the rigid prefabricated one pieceliner, it has been proposed that two one-half bath tub like sections of the liner be prefabricated and that, upon installing the liner in the above ground swimming pool assembly, the two halves be welded together to provide a rigid liner. While the weld of the two halves of the liner may provide a two fold function of (1) a water tight seal and (2) a mechanically retentive and now rigid liner for the swimming pool, the ditficulties in mounting the excessively heavy and bulky half sections and in welding the same together leaves much to be desired due to the difiiculties inherent in the assembly of such a rigid liner in an above ground swimming pool assembly of a reasonable size, and further since the quality of the welded joint is completely dependent on the skill of the welder.

Such prior art devices fail to suggest the idea of means provided in the present invention for forming and supporting a rigid liner for the sidewalls and bottom of a swimming pool so as to avoid the problems heretofore presented.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, there is provided interlocking sections for effecting both a water tight seal and mechanical retention in a rigid liner for a swimming pool, and

in the assembly of the liner the interlocking sections are maintained in a convenient size without the necessity for using either heavy, bulky and/or unwieldly large sections.

Furthermore, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to utilize a side back-up panel as an integral functional region of the rigid liner, as distinguished from the redundant nature of the flexible vinyl rubberlike liner and plywood back-up panel arrangement provided in the prior art swimming pool assembly described in the aforenoted U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,334,430.

An object of the invention is to provide a rigid liner for a swimming poal assembly in which the liner is comprised of interlocking sections of a size and weight that may be conveniently handled and snapped together by an unskilled person in interlocking relation or the sections may be fastened together by one person by means of a tongue and groove interlocking geometry of the sections, and thereafter sealed by means of a suitable sealant so as to provide a water-tight liner having mechanical retention.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a sealant for the interlocking joints of the sections of a material which upon solidification has relative flexibility so as to permit a limited flexing between the section at the interlocking joints thereof under normal service and conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide another sealant for the interlocking joints of the sections of a bonding material which solidifies so as to provide a firm mechanical retention between the section at the interlocking joints thereof.

Another object of the invention is the provision of sectional panels for forming the liner of a swimming pool assembly, said panels being of a type having both male and female edges, of a type having either all male edges or all female edges and of a convenient size for handling such as for example, one foot by four feet, two feet by four feet, four feet by four feet, four feet by eight feet, or eight feet by eight feet so that the handling of the sectional panels by assembly personnel as well as the interlocking of the male edge of one panel with a female edge of another panel in the assembly of the pool liner does not present a problem.

A further object of the invention is to provide the respective sectional panels with the interlocking male and female edges so arranged as to provide a means for fixturing the respective sectional panels during the application of the sealant at the interlocking joint so as to permit solidification of the sealant while the respective sectional panels are held in a fixed position relative one to the other by the arrangement of the interlocking male and female edges of the respective sectional panels.

A further object of the invention is the provision of interlocking sectional panels for assembly into a rigid pool liner, the sectional panels being formed of a suitable durable and rigid sheet metal, such as aluminum or steel, or a suitable durable and rigid plastic material, such as fiberglass.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel seal patch to effect a water tight seal at the corner joint spaces of the interlocking sectional panels, which seal patch may be conveniently bonded to the metal and/or fiberglass sectional panels and given a decorative shape so as to add to the appearance of the pool assembly rather than detract therefrom.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the rigid liner in the swimming pool assembly a back-up panel which may be formed integrally with the rigid liner.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a corrugated reinforcement means for supporting the rigid pool liner in place of the wooden supporting posts and plywood panels of US. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430, which corrugated reinforcement means may be formed integrally with or bonded to the rigid liner with the cor- .4 rugations of the reinforcement means extending either vertically or horizontally in relation to the rigid pool liner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a corrugated reinforcement means in which the corrugations may be seam welded (provided the pool liner be of a sheet steel) or spot welded (provided the pool liner be of a sheet aluminum) or bonded (provided the pool liner be of a fiberglass material) to the rigid sectional pool liner. There are also plastics that may be used which can be heat sealed or welded.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of interlocking sections of convenient size for forming a rigid liner for the sidewalls and bottom of a swimming pool, such rigid liner having an upper male edge engageable in a liner lock strip mounted at the upper edge of the pool assembly, or such a rigid liner may be secured at the upper edge of the pool assembly by other locking means so that the rigid liner may be readily provided in the pool assembly. Such a rigid liner provided in a swimming pool assembly including a corrugated reinforcement which may extend horizontally or vertically so as to support a rigid sidewall portion of the interlocking sectional liner as an integral structural support for the liner in carrying the water of the swimming pool.

A further object of the invention is to provide a swimming pool assembly of such simplicity in construction as not to require a skilled installer to effect the assembly thereof or to form an exact pool shape to accommodate a flexible vinyl liner of the prior art type, but instead in the present invention there are provided preformed sections of a rigid material and including readily operable means for interlocking the edges thereof to form the pool liner together with supporting means suitably formed so as to provide a backing for such a preformed rigid sectional pool liner.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are pointed out in the following description in terms of the embodiment thereof, which are shown in the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings in which corresponding parts have been indicated by like numerals:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a typical pool liner embodying the present invention and illustrating the arrangement of interlocking sectional panels to form the rigid swimming pool liner as shown;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a pair of one type of interlocking sectional panels in which each panel has both male and female interlocking edges;

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a pair of a second type of interlocking sectional panels in which one panel has all interlocking male edges and the other panel has all interlocking female edges;

FIGURE 4 illustrates diagrammatically the interlocking geometry of the male (M) and the female (F) edges of the sectional panels of FIGURES 2 and 3, and the effectiveness of a snap fit by pounding the joint formed thereby with a mallet;

FIGURE 5 illustrates diagrammatically a female (F) edge of a sectional panel in which an epoxy plastic material is applied quickly by means of an automatic applicator such as an epoxy gun of a conventional type;

FIGURE 6 illustrates diagrammatically the interlocking geometry of a further modified form of interlocking male (M) and female (F) edges of a pair of sectional fiber glass panels in which a fiber glass mat serves to join the same together.

FIGURE 7 illustrates diagrammatically the steps and interlocking geometry in an additional modified form of the invention in which a gasket or caulking serves to provide the sealing function at a joint formed between the interlocking male (M) and female (F) edges of a pair of sectional aluminum sheet panels.

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating the interlocking arrangement of the side and bottom plates of the pool liner of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 8A is an enlarged fragmentary sectional top view of the interlocking edges indicated by the arrow of one of the corner panels of FIGURE 8 to obtain a good corner joint;

FIGURE 8B is an enlarged fragmentary sectional side view of one of the interlocking edges indicated by the arrow of the side and bottom panels of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 8C is an enlarged sectional side view of the interlocking edges indicated by the arrow of the other side panel and the bottom panel of FIGURE 8, and showing the relative position of the right angle patch;

FIGURE 8D is an enlarged fragmentary sectional top view of the interlocking edges indicated by the arrow of the corner and side panels of FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a side of a swimming pool assembly in which the improved liner of the present invention may be snapped in a liner lock strip of a type described and claimed in the aforementioned US. application Ser. No. 615,750 and as a direct substitution for a flexible vinyl plastic liner in a swimming pool assembly of a type such as that described and claimed in the U.S. Letters Patent No. 3.335,430;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a side of a swimming pool assembly in which the present invention may be embodied as a direct substitution for a flexible vinyl plastic liner and liner lock strip of a type such as described in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a side of a swimming pool assembly embodying a modified form of the invention including vertically extending parallel stiffening corruguations which .together with the liner provide an integral part of the load carrying structure;

FIGURE 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a side of a swimming pool embodying a further modified form of the invention including horizontally extending parallel stiffening corrugations which together with the liner provide an integral part of the load carrying structure;

FIGURE 13 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a pool liner embodying a modified form of the invention as applied to a curved wall pool liner structure; and

FIGURE 14 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a pool liner embodying a further modified form of the invention as applied to a pool liner structure having different angle Wall surfarces.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, the rigid pool liner, indicated generally in FIGURE 1 by the numeral 10, is comprised of a plurality of interlocking sectional panels, which may generally be of the types shown by FIGURES 2 and 3 having interlocking male and female edges designated by the letters M and F adjacent their respective edges.

In the assembly of the sectional panels in the pool liner, the actual panels may be of dilferent sizes and shapes and may have various combinations and arrangements of the male (M) and female (F) engaging edges to effect the desired liner arrangement.

As shown by FIGURE 1, the rigid pool liner 10 includes side panels 12 and 14 and bottom panels 16, 18 and 20, and corner side panels 22 having designated male (M) and female (F) interlocking edges of the types shown generally by FIGURES 2 and 3. The corner side panels 22 may have the designated male (M) and female (F) interlocking edges and the special interlocking corner edges, hereinafter explained with reference to FIGURE 8.

The designated male (M) and female (F) edges of the respective sectional panels are positioned in an engaging interlocking relation and by making the sectional panels of a convenient size for handling such as for example, approximately one foot by four feet, two feet by four feet, four feet by four feet, four feet by eight feet, or eight feet by eight feet, the number of interlocking edges required may be kept to a minimum consistent with the ready handling of the panels by personnel in the assembly of the liner 10 without resenting a problem.

The panels, as shown by FIGURES 2 and 3, may be formed of a sheet steel, aluminum or other suitable rigid sheet metal or may be formed of a durable, rigid plastic material such as a sheet of fiberglass. The panel sections have the male (M) and female (F) edges thereof arranged to be snapped together and sealed with a suitable material along the joint of the interlocking edges, or the male (M) and female (F) edges may be fastened together and sealed along their joint by a suitable sealant.

Fastening of the edges M and F for example may be effected by means of the interlocking geometry of the respective M and F edges of the panels. Sealing may be readily accomplished by the use of a suitable epoxy applied quickly from an automatic applicator such as an epoxy gun of conventional type, as illustrated in FIG- URE 5.

It will also be apparent that the interlocking of the M and F edges of the panels may be such that the M edge provides a snap fit beading arranged to fit tightly within and together with a corresponding F edge of an adjacent interlocking panel by pounding the joint formed thereby with a mallet to cause the snap-fit to be accomplished, as shown diagrammatically by FIGURE 4. In such case, a suitable sealant material would be first placed in a recess formed in the female (F) edge, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, While the male (M) edge would thereafter be forcibly snapped into the sealant filled recess in the female edge. The beading of the male (M) edge would be formed slightly larger than the recess of the female (F) edge so that the heading of the male (M) edge, in being forced into the recess of the female (F) edge, would cause the recess formed by the female (F) edge to be spread slightly so as to receive the heading of the male (M) edge in an almost perfect contacting interlocking relation Within the recess of the female (F) edge with the sealant material therein.

When the sealant material in the recess of the female (F) edge has dried and solidified, it serves to seal olf all lapses of the perfefct contact which may occur in the interlocking joint.

The sealant may be selected from a suitable material which on solidifying would provide a relatively flexible material (such as Thiokol sealant) so that limited flexure at the interlocking joint may be permitted by the sealant while maintaining a water tight seal at the joint. Limited flexing at the interlocking joint is to be expected as a normal condition in actual service. Moreover, additional sealant may be applied to the joint after the male (M) and female (F) are snapped into place so as to provide by the additional sealant a double seal, if desired.

As an alternative, a sealant may also be used to provide mechanical retention, as illustrated in FIGURE 5, in which the sealant is of a material, such as an epoxy resin or similar material, so as to rigidly retain the joint while serving as a sealant.

In this connection, it may be noted that the male (M) and female (F) interlocking edges, of the sectional panels provide a means securing the panels during application of the sealant.

Instead of metal panels, the sectional panels may be made of a durable rigid plastic material such as fiberglass. Such fiberglass panels may be suitably ribbed for strength and are particularly easy to bond together. Thus, the male edge (M) of one panel may be positioned in the female edge of another panel together with an epoxy resin as a sealant, and a fiberglass mat 25 applied with an epoxy resin to the outer side of the interlocking panels at the joint as illustrated by FIGURE 6.

A number of alternative interlocking arrangements may be utilized to interlock the edges of the sectional panels in which the purpose is to provide mechanical retention by means of a joint which may be readily formed. For example, the arrangement shown in FIGURE 4 does not require the use of a sealant. However, where a sealant is desirable the sealing function may be performed independently by means of a gasket 27, as illustrated in FIG- URE 7, by a sealant material 29 as illustrated in FIG- URE or by the sealant mat 25, as illustrated by FIG- URE 6.

The corner joint spaces between the sectional panels are readily sealed by a flat patch 31, right angle patch 33 and corner patch 35 as indicated by the designations on FIGURE 1. The seal patches 31, 33 and 35 may be bonded to either metal or fiber glass by a suitable bonding material and may be given a decorative shape so as to add rather than detract from the appearance of the pool assembly. The patches 31, 33 and 35 may be coated with a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive which may act as the sole bonding agent or the bonding agent in conjunction with another agent.

As best shown by FIGURES 8 and 8A, each pair of corner side panels 22 have special interlocking corner edges indicated generally by the numeral 40 and including a first corner side panel 22 having a female recessed edge portion 42 adapted to be received in a recessed edge portion 44 of the second corner side Panel while the edge portion 44 of the second corner side panel has an inwardly projecting end flange portion 46 adapted to be received within the recess of the female edge portion 42 of the first corner side panel and to be interlocked therein, as heretofore explained, with a suitable sealant material and the corner patch 35 sealing the corner joint formed between the bottom panel 20 and the corner panels 22 from leakage.

Other edges of the side and bottom panels are interlocked as shown by the enlarged fragmentary views of FIGURES 8B, 8C and 8D and adjacent fragmentary perspective corner view of FIGURE 8.

The improved rigid sectional panel liner may be assembled, as heretofore explained, within a swimming pool assembly, which may be of a type described and claimed in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430 and a swimming pool which may be mounted above a ground level 51, as shown by the enlarged fragmentary sectional side view of FIGURE 9.

The pool construction includes the improved fluid tight rigid liner 10 with interlocking panel sections for carrying the water of the swimming pool to replace the flexible sheet of a somewhat stretchable plastic material, such as a polyvinylchloride, heretofore utilized as a liner in swimming pools as set forth in the aforenoted Letters Patent and copending applications for US. Letters Patent.

The improved liner 10, as shown by FIGURE 9, may be carried above the level of the ground 51 by an assembly of a rectangular top frame 54 of steel angle bars and supported by a corresponding rectangular bottom 56 of steel channel bars resting on the ground level 51, as shown by FIGURE 9 and explained in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

It will be noted that there is provided along the upper edge of the improved liner 10 a plurality of hook-like elements 58 which project inwardly, upwardly and outwardly from the liner 10, as shown by FIGURES 1, 8 and 9. One of the hook-like elements 58 extends from the upper edge of each of the side panels 12, 14 and 22 and each is adapted to be snapped into a liner lock strip 60 or other suitable attachment means. The liner lock strip 60 may be of a type described and claimed in the aforementioned copending US. application Ser. No. 615,750, filed Feb. 13, 1967, now US. Patent No. 3,354,473. The lock strip 60 is secured by suitable means to a pool deck 62. The deck 62 is supported by joists 64 and 65, as explained in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

Thus, the improved rigid liner 10 with the interlocking sectional panels 12, 14, 16 and 18, 20 and 22 may be directly substituted for the flexible vinyl plastic liner described in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

In an alternative form of the invention, shown by FIG- URE 10, in place of the flexible vinyl plastic liner and liner locking strips of the types described and claimed in the aforenoted Letters Patent and applications, the improved liner 10 of the present invention may include instead of the hook-like elements 58 of FIGURES 1, 8 and 9, the provision of a plurality of flange elements 70 which project inwardly and upwardly from the liner 10 as shown by FIGURE 10. Moreover, one of the flange elements 70 may extend from the upper edge of each of the side panels 12, 14 and 22 in place of the hook-like elements 58 of the form of the invention shown in FIGURES l, 8 and 9.

Each of the flange-like elements 70 may be suitably perforated so as to be readily adapted to be secured by suitable nails or fastening screws 72 directly to the inner deck joist 64. A coping 74 may be further fastened about the inner edge of the pool deck 62, and the flange elements 70, as shown by FIGURE 10.

In both forms of the invention illustrated by FIGURES 9 and 10, the improved liner 10 has a vertical portion which is adapted to be pressed tightly under pressure of the water carried by the liner 10 against the inner surface of the sidewalls or plywood panels 75. Each of the panels 75 has an upper edge mounted in a suitable channel 77 provided in the joist 64. The panels 75 are positioned between the joists 64 and the ground level 51, as shown by FIGURE 9, and serve not only to lock the plywood panels 75 in a vertical position, but also to automatically align and prevent any shift of the pool deck 62.

A bottom portion of the liner 10 will rest under the pressure of the water filling the pool against a bottom 80 suitably formed so that the bottom portion of the liner 10 is pitched at an incline from the vertical wall portions of the liner 10 toward a suitable drain or opening which may be drilled in a bottom portion of the liner 10 and connected through suitable plumbing means so as to drain the water from the pool, as desired. Further, there may be drilled in a side portion of the liner 10 an opening which may be connected through a suitable water supply means for filling the pool, as explained in the aforementioned Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

The pool assembly may include a camber bar truss assembly 82, such as described and claimed in US. Letters Patent 3,335,430 with the assemblage thereof in relation to the rectangular top frame 54 of steel bars for supporting the upper portions of the sidewalls or plywood panels 75 and thereby the water-filled pool liner 10 above-ground level 51 under pressure of the water. The lower portion of the sidewalls 75 are supported by the corresponding rectangular bottom frame 56 of steel channel bars resting on the ground level 51, as shown in FIGURE 9, and explained in the aforenoted patent and copending application.

A series of wooden supporting posts 84, one of which is shown by FIGURE 9, extends vertically from the channel bars of the bottom frame 56 to the channel bars of the top frame 54- with the lower ends of the posts 84 standing in the U channel of the bars of the bottom frame 56 and the upper ends of the posts 84 being positioned in the inverted U channel of the bars of the top frame 54.

The upper and lower ends of the supporting posts 84 are suitably chamfered, as indicated respectively at 86 and 87 in FIGURE 9, to fit respectively the channels of the U bars of the top and bottom frames 54 and 56 so as to render a full bearing surface for the plywood panel 75. The plywood panels 75 are secured by nails or suitable wood screws 88 to the posts 84.

Each of the supporting posts 84 has fastened thereto a supporting beam 90, and adjacent an upper portion of the supporting post 84 there is affixed a crossbar 92 which projects outwardly at a right angle to the supporting post 84. The crossbar 92 is supported by the beam 90, and, in turn, carries the outer deck joist 65 arranged in spaced relation to the inner deck joist 64. The joist 64 is carried by the upper portion of the sidewalls or plywood panels 75 which are mounted in the channel 77 provided in the joist 64 for supporting the pool deck 62.

The pool deck 62 includes suitable planks, which are naild to the joists 64 and 65, while top fence posts 102, carrying an outer railing 104 for the pool deck as shown by FIGURE 9, are each secured to the cross bar 92 by suitable bolts 105 and to the outer deck joist 65 by a second bolt 107. The deck of the pool assembly may be further constructed, as described in the aforementioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

Ina further modified form of the invention, shown by FIGURE 11, the sidewalls or plywood panels 75 of FIGURES 9 and may be eliminated as well as the hook-like elments 58 of FIGURES l, 8 and 9; the flange elements 70 of FIGURE 9; and the fastening nails or screws 72 of FIGURE 10.

Instead, in the form of the invention of FIGURE 11, there extends inwardly and upwardly from the upper edge of the liner 10 a plurality of flange elements 110. One of the flange elements 110 may extend from the upper edge of each of the side panels 12, 14 and 22. Each of the flange elements 110 has an upper portion adapted to be received in a suitable channel 112 provided in the joist 64 instead of a channel 77 for receiving the upper portion of the plywood panel 75 as in FIGURES 9 and 10.

Further, as shown by FIGURE 11, there are provided vertically extending parallel stiffening corrugations 114 formed integrally with the liner 10 at the outer surface thereof. The vertically extending corrugations 114 may be spot welded at 116 to the outer surface of the liner 10 when the liner 10 and corrugations 114 are made of aluminum, sheet metal or other welable material. Should the liner 10 and vertical corrugations 114 be of a fiberglass material, then the fiber glass corrugations 114 would be bonded by a suitable material to the inner surface of the fiberglass liner 10.

The side panels 12, 14 and 22 of the liner 10 together with the vertical corrugations 114 may thereby serve as an integral part of the load carrying structure.

This would then effectively eliminate the redundant parallel side wall plywood panel 75, which in the form of the invention of FIGURES 9 and 10 serves to back up the side panels of the liner 10 with the attendant redundancy of the two flat surfaces of the sidewall 75 and liner 10 acting in parallel.

In the modified form of the invention shown by FIGURE 11, the cross bar 92 may be suitably bolted or riveted to an upper portion of one of the vertically extending corrugations while the lower end of the supporting beam 90 may 'be suitably bolted or riveted to a lower end of the vertically extending corrugation. The pool assembly of FIGURE 11 may otherwise be assembled as heretofore explained with reference to FIGURES 9 and 10 and in the aforenoted U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,340.

In another modified form of the invention, shown by FIGURE 12, the inwardly and upwardly projecting flange elements 110 of FIGURE 11 may be eliminated and instead there may project straight upwardly from the upper edge of the liner 10 a plurality of flange elements 120. One of the flange elements 120 is shown in FIGURE 12, and corresponding flange elements 120 may 10 extend from the upper edge of each of the side panels 12, 14 and 22. Each of the flange elements has an upper portion adapted to be received in a suitable channel 112 provided in the joists 64.

Further, as shown by FIGURE 12, there are provided horizontally extending parallel corrugations formed integrally with the liner 10 at the outer surface thereof. The horizontally extending corrugations 125 may be spot welded at 127 to the outer surface of the liner 10, upon the liner 10 and the corrugations being of aluminum, sheet metal or other weldable materials. Should the liner 10 and horizontal corrugations 125 be of a fiberglass material, then the fiberglass corrugations 125 would be bonded by a suitable material to the inner surface of the fiberglass liner 10.

Further, a series of steel angle bars 130, one of which is shown by FIGURE 12, extends vertically from the channel bars of the bottom frame 56 to the channel bars of the top frame 54 with the lower ends of the angle bars 130 standing in the U channel of the bars of the bottom frame 56 and the upper ends of the angle bars 130 being positioned in the inverted U channel of the bars of the top frame 54.

As shown by FIGURE 12, each angle bar 130 includes flanges 132 and 136. The flange 132 is suitably riveted at 134 to each of the horizontally extending parallel corrugations 125. An outer edge of the other flange 136 of the angle bar 130 engages an inner surface of an outer flange of the channel bars at the top and bottom frames 54 and 56, respectively, while the outer surface of the liner 10, as shown by FIGURE 12, bears upon an outer surface of the inner flange of the channel bars at the top and bottom frames 54 and 56, respectively, so that the top and bottom frames 54 and 56, the angle bars 130, the horizontally extending parallel corrugations 125, and the improved liner 10 all serve as an integral part of the load carrying structure for supporting the water in the sectional panel liner 10.

In the modified form of the invention, shown by FIG- URE 12, the cross bar 92 may be suitably bolted or riveted to an upper portion of the flange 136 of the angle bar 130, while the lower end of the supporting beam 90 may be suitably bolted or riveted to a lower portion of the flange 136 of the angle bar 130. The pool assembly of FIGURE 12 may otherwise be assembled as heretofore explained with reference to FIG- URES 9, 10 and 11 and in the aforenoted U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

While the invention has been shown as applied to a pool liner 10 having relatively straight side panels, as shown by FIGURE 1, it should be understood that the invention is equally applicable to swimming pool assemblies including pool liners having curved sides as shown by FIGURE 13 and different angled wall surfaces as shown by FIGURE 14. Each of the forms of the invention of FIGURES l3 and 14 has flange elements 120 projecting upwardly from the upper edge of the segmental panel liner 10 as in the pool assembly of FIGURE 12. The application of the invention in the forms of the liners 10 and pool assemblies of FIGURES 12, 13 and 14 will be readily apparent and no further detailed explanation thereof is deemed necessary.

Manifestly pool assemblies embodying the subject matter of this invention, may be entirely within the ground, partially above ground, as for example where the installation is on a sloping surface such as a side of a hill, or entirely above ground as described in the afore mentioned U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,335,430.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangements of the parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Reference is, therefore, to be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A liner for a swimming pool assembly comprising a plurality of rigid sections, each of said sections being of a sheet material and including means for interlocking certain edges of other of said sections to effect interlocking sidewall and bottom sections of the liner, resilient sealant means at the interlocking edges of the sections so as to permit a flexing between the sections along the interlocking edges of the sections under normal service conditions and means for securing an upper edge of the sidewall sections of the liner in the pool assembly.

2. The liner defined by claim 1 wherein the sealent means is a bonding material, said sealant means being adapted to solidify so as to provide a firm mechanical retention between the sections at the interlocking edges thereof.

3. The liner defined by claim 1 in which the securing means includes a plurality of hook elements, one of the hook elements extending from an upper edge of each of the sidewall sections and adapted to be snapped into a lock strip means secured to an inner edge of the pool assembly.

4. The liner defined by claim 1 in which the securing means includes a plurality of flange elements, one of the flange elements extending from an upper edge of each of the sidewall sections and adapted to be fastened about an inner edge of the pool assembly.

5. The liner defined by claim 1 in which the securing means includes a plurality of flange elements, one of the flange elements extending from an upper edge of each of the sidewall sections and adapted to be received in a channel provided in a joist for supporting a desk of the pool assembly.

6. The combination defined by claim 1 including a plurality of vertically extending parallel corrugations of a rigid material secured to the sidewall sections of the liner and at an outer surface thereof so as the provide a load carrying structure for supporting the liner when bearing waterin the pool assembly.

7. The combination defined by claim 1 including a plurality of horizontally extending parallel corrugations of a rigid material secured to the sidewall sections of the liner and at an outer surface thereof so as to provide a load carrying structure for supporting the liner when bearing water in the pool assembly.

8. The combination defined by claim 1 including a plurality of parallel corrugations of a rigid material bearing upon an outer surface of the sidewall sections of the liner so as to provide a load carrying structure for supporting the liner while carrying water in the pool assembly.

9. The combination defined by claim 1 including rigid means for supporting the liner of the pool assembly at an outer surface thereof so as to provide a load carrying structure for supporting the liner while bearing water in the pool assembly.

10. The combination defined by claim 1 wherein the means for securing the upper edge of the liner in the pool assembly includes a plurality of elements extending from an upper edge of the sidewall sections and engageable in the pool assembly, and rigid means for supporting the linear of the pool assembly at an outer surface thereof so as to provide a load carrying structure for supporting the liner while bearing water in the pool assembly.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 25,199 7/1962 Brownell.

2,490,272 12/ 1949 Kasele 4172 2,996,729 8/1961 Bailey. 3,015,191 l/1962 Lucchesi. 3,142,069 7/ 1964 OConnell et al. 4172 3,177,501 4/1965 Kwake. 3,416,165 12/1968 Pereira 4-172 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner HENRY K. ARTIS, Assistant Examiner 

